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Marcil retiring as Forum's publisher

FARGO - William C. Marcil, publisher of The Forum for the past 41 years, will step down on December 1 and hand the reins to his son, Bill Marcil Jr.

The 74-year-old Marcil is relinquishing his role as publisher and CEO but will remain chairman of the board of Forum Communications Co., The Forum's parent company, which owns the Echo Press and 30 other newspapers.

Marcil made the announcement September 13.

In another change, Lloyd G. Case, the company's president and chief operating officer, on Monday also was named CEO and will remain in that position until 2013, when he too will retire.

William Marcil called the changes "a milestone in the history of this company."

"When you've got a family owned business and you've got a child that's capable of coming back and running the business, it just makes everybody feel really happy in the family," he told Forum employees, Marcil Jr. and Case at his side.

William Marcil became The Forum's publisher on November 1, 1969, succeeding his father-in-law, Norman D. Black Jr.

With his appointment, 46-year-old Bill Marcil Jr. will become the fifth-generation family member to serve as publisher of The Forum.

He was a photography intern at The Forum in 1987 and served as the newspaper's general manager from 1997 to February 2000. Later that year he was named development director for Forum Communications.

Bill Marcil Jr. has been away from the newspaper's day-to-day operations for seven years while running his own business, but he said he's a voracious newspaper reader and has continued to follow industry trends closely.

He said he's thankful for the opportunity his father and mother, Jane, have given him.

"I'm excited about it. I'm excited about our future and where we're going," he said.